In Another World
by Hane no Zaia
Summary: In one world, Mr. Hakozaki's dragons had opted to burn his research rather than leave it behind. In this particular world however, there was someone to whom it could be entrusted.


_Tentative one-shot. I adjusted the timeline a little bit, by a year or so, for part of the story._

-.-.-.-

The room had been rummaged. Shelves were turned. Books and other artefacts were strewn over the floor in a disarray stemming from those eagerly looking for something purposely hidden from their eyes. It was there, on the floor, that Natsume Takashi had found a small box.

The box was covered in a pattern of maple leaves, and within it, there was a secret treasure; an old family photo. It featured four adults standing behind a woman seated upon a chair, holding a child. They all wore traditional clothes and looked happy. The tallest out of them was a man smiling awkwardly; he looked slightly unkempt compared to the others, with the hair, the moustache and the slight goatee, arms hidden up long sleeves.

Looking at the photo, the Natsume Takashi of that world had not recognised any of the people; he had only taken the photo in order to return it to the granddaughter of the recently deceased Mr. Hakozaki. Then, there were the dragons, the _shiki_ , invisible to everyone save a few.

" _I suppose there really is something familiar about you. Boy, I have seen someone with a similar face before."_ Such had been the words of the light blue dragon, shortly before it had vanished _. "I feel that I met a man with very similar features long ago."_

And the boy would consider it a shame he could not ask more about the man to whom he bore such similarity; his grandfather, perhaps.

However, in another world, things had gone somewhat differently.

-.-.-.-

In one world, Mr. Hakozaki, the master of the mansion, had shut himself inside his study to do research on spirits. His family, who could not view the same scenery, had kept their distance. Thus, nobody had known the location of the aforementioned study, once the man himself had gone senile and died peacefully but alone in the hospital. It was his granddaughter who, wanting to rid herself of the potential hazard, had extended an invitation to the exorcists. And many had come to investigate, not because they had been friends with the late Mr. Hakozaki, but because the latter had been very skilled; they had wanted the research he had left behind, even if they had to force their way through.

"The documents inside will be given to the one who finds them."

In one world, Mr. Hakozaki's dragons had opted to burn them rather than leave them behind.

In this particular world however, there was someone to whom they could be entrusted.

-.-.-.-

"Mr. Natsume."

He smiled thinly at the formality, but answered in kind. "Ms. Hakozaki."

She had always kept him at arm's length, at first because she had been wary and later because she had envied him. Now she was just cold, cold and disapproving, much like the rest of the family. "No matter what grandfather might have told you, you don't need to stay here," she said at last, once the silence had dragged on long enough. "It's far too big for just one person."

Disapproval intermingling with discomfort. Maybe there was concern for him there as well, a wish for him not to end up the same way as her late grandfather, a hermit who practically only spoke to or about spirits. "You're more than welcome to stay if you like, Ms. Hakozaki," Takashi said, even while knowing this was an offer she would never accept. Besides, she and he both knew that he would hardly be staying there alone.

"What about your education?" she asked, with a flare of irritation. "You should let us sell this place and get you an apartment in the city."

And there it was. "I'm sure there have been offers already," he commented softly, watching out of the corner of his eye as she stiffened.

It was probably the Matoba clan again, unwilling to take no for an answer. But they were smart, having approached the granddaughter; she along with the rest wanted to cut all ties to the spirits, ridding themselves of the house in the process.

"The offer won't stand," he commented further, knowing that at times, it was better to lay out the truth than conceal it. "They made it because they want Grandfather's research, not the house itself."

And if they forced him out, then he would either bring it along or see to it that it was destroyed; Mr. Hakozaki never have wanted to see his research misused by the likes of the Matoba.

" _Lord Natsume."_

He turned his head slightly to acknowledge the golden dragon now at his side. " _Kanegumo_ ," he finally acknowledged, now that his… cousin of sorts had stormed out of the room.

" _If you go, then we will follow. If you still want us, that is."_

Takashi closed his eyes.

-.-.-.-

Takashi still remembered that day, a rare moment of clarity in-between so many blurred ones. The man had smiled awkwardly, his slightly unkempt hair streaked with grey, hands calloused but warm, two dragons behind him, watching.

" _Would you… like to come live with me, Takashi?"_

-.-.-.-

In one world, Natsume Takashi would have continued being passed in-between distant relatives and considered a bother up until the point where he was taken in by the kindly Fujiwara couple. In this one however, fate would have it another way.

Natsume Reiko still died under a tree somewhere, leaving behind the young daughter who would in turn leave behind a son. Even these days, Natsume Takashi could vividly recall sitting out on the veranda on his father's lap, overlooking the wild garden born from the seeds his mother had sown with the hopes one day seeing them bloom alongside him. His mother had died in childbirth, never knowing her own father; even after all that had followed, Takashi considered himself fortunate enough to have known his.

Mr. Hakozaki would never replace the father Takashi had known, just like Takashi would never replace the dearly beloved but of recent years estranged grandchild. But neither regretted their decisions at the time that their paths had come to cross; they were kin, whether distantly related or not, far apart in terms of age but close in many other respects.

-.-.-.-

" _What will you do now, Natsume Takashi?"_

-.-.-.-

He sat in the study, overlooking the maple tree; it had grown quite a bit since he had first seen it. Truth to be told, he was conflicted, because on one hand, he was legally entitled to part of the estate, and on the other, he did not want to take anything that rightfully belonged to Mr. Hakozaki's descendants, because it was theirs as much as, if not more, than it was his. Still, there were those who were posed to disagree.

" _After abandoning our master for all this time, they have no right,"_ grumbled the light blue dragon, curled up beside him. _"We would rather burn this place than see them sell it off."_

Takashi's smile was small but genuine. "I know," he said, twirling the pencil in-between his fingers. "But–"

" _They abandoned him whereas you remained,"_ the dragon hissed. _"You owe them nothing."_

But money _was_ a definite issue, sentimentality notwithstanding.

With a sigh, Takashi put his pencil down. "I guess I could take on more jobs," he finally said, because even though he had no particular fondness for mingling with exorcists, it paid far too well to be disregarded outright. "That said, it would mean a lot of travelling, and as things are right now, I'm not sure that I can trust people to leave this place alone while I'm gone."

" _We can stay and protect it, if you wish it,"_ Kanegumo promised, earning a rumble of disapproval from his companion. _"But if you are ever in need of us…"_

Takashi nodded, understanding the offer for what it was. He had no personal _shiki_ , but he was hardly defenceless either; Mr. Hakozaki had seen to that. After all, even though the man had seen no problem with Takashi playing with various spirits on the estate grounds, he had taught Takashi more than a few useful tricks along the way. That said, Takashi was certainly no exorcist. To some, he was seen as a mediator. To others, he was seen as a mere meddler. And then, there was that other thing…

-.-.-.-

" _Natsume Reiko! It's Natsume Reiko!"_

-.-.-.-

If rumour was to be believed, then Yatsuhara Forest used to be his late grandmother's old stomping ground. Word also had it that she had left behind a whole lot of unfinished business there, and since she had been dead many years already, it kind of became Takashi's responsibility. Kind of. That said, the twin dragons would likely not have approved of him seeking out a bunch of _ayakashi_ who might (or might not) be nursing some sort of grudge. Which is exactly why he had not told them – or anyone, really.

In hindsight, Takashi really ought to have brought along some kind of escort – as a deterrent if nothing else, because the _ayakashi_ had seen him, thought Reiko and given chase, and he did not think that exorcising them would be very fair, or good for the sake of future diplomacy. Besides, there was the matter about them wanting to pull out his tongue and all.

"Oh shit."

He had stumbled, tripped up by a rotting rope, and not just any rope, but a— _"Ah, the barrier's been broken—"_

Alerted by the ominous voice, Takashi snapped his head around just in time to see the doors to the small shrine slam wide open. Moments later, he was forced to shield his eyes as there was a sudden explosion of light. When it faded, there was a—

" _My… a human sees me and isn't afraid? How brave."_

A lucky cat? "I'm used to it."

A few moments passed. Takeshi was still a bit stunned by the ordeal, but the same could be said for the _ayakashi_ before him.

" _You're… not Natsume Reiko."_

As it turned out, some _ayakashi_ were more observant than others, and this particular one, later known to him as Madara, happened to know a thing or two about Natsume Reiko.

-.-.-.-

" _Don't you get it? It's too much for a human to handle. Give it to me."_

-.-.-.-

Naturally, Takeshi had refused. Repeatedly. "I want to avoid trouble as much as possible, but if I can return their names, then I want to do it right away!" –while he was still able.

Madara made sure to inform him that he was a suicidal idiot who would not last long.

Takashi saw it fit to disagree.

-.-.-.-

 _Karikage. Hishigaki._ Two names had been returned, but there were still so many left to go.

-.-.-.-

" _Reiko, will you be okay now? Will you be all right all by yourself?"_

The parting words of Hishigaki, echoing in his head, which ached from an influx of memories that were not his own. That said, Takashi did not think that Reiko was ever truly alone, because even if she had been isolated from the human world, she had been deeply immersed in another.

" _Takashi, will you be all right by yourself while I'm gone?"_

Mr. Hakozaki's, Grandfather's, words, back when he was first hospitalised. Even in the wrinkled face, the smile was still awkward, and the thinning hair was even more unkempt despite the nurses' earnest attempts. But the hands were warm and the eyes were tender, regarding him now in this moment of clarity; Takashi knew well to treasure these moments, knowing what could happen in-between one moment and the next. Some days, he was recognised most of the time. Other days, he was a complete stranger. Even so, he answered in kind with a smile of his own.

" _Don't worry, Grandfather,"_ he assured him, giving his hand a slight squeeze. _"I can take care of myself—"_

-.-.-.-

Takashi tiredly blinked his eyes back open, he was lying on his back, one hand on the Book of Friends and the other on the grass beneath him. "I thought you said you were going to eat me," he commented.

There was a scoff from above, and the white mass above him shifted slightly. _"Keep pushing your luck kid, and I might change my mind."_

Knowing well that the other could have easily taken the book and disappeared while he was unconscious, Takashi smiled. Grandmother's friend; ill-mannered, selfish, and proud, but also protective. "Got it."

-.-.-.-

"— _I won't be alone._ "


End file.
